William Penn Life, 2013 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2013-08-01 / 8. szám
Branching Out with Endre Csornán Szent István, Apostolic King of Hungary The man behind St Stephen's Day - August 20 SAINT STEPHEN, or Szent István, was named Vajk when he was born in the town of Esztergom. His father was Grand Prince Géza of Hungary and his mother was Sarolt, the daughter of a Hungarian nobleman, Gyula of Transylvania. When István reached adolescence, Great Prince Géza convened an assembly where it was decided that Stephen would follow his father as the monarch of the Hungarians. This decision, however, contradicted the Magyar tribal custom that gave the right of succession to the eldest close relative of the deceased ruler. In 997, Géza died, and a succession struggle ensued. Stephen claimed to rule the Magyars by the principle of Christian divine right, while his uncle Koppány, a powerful pagan chieftain in Somogy, claimed the traditional right of agnatic seniority. Eventually, the two met in battle near Veszprém, and István, victorious, assumed the role of Grand Prince of the Hungarians. According to Hungarian tradition, Pope Sylvester II sent a magnificent jeweled gold crown to István, along with an apostolic cross and letter of blessing officially recognizing István as the Christian King of Hungary. The date of István's coronation is sometimes written as Christmas Day 1000, or January 1,1001. István discouraged pagan customs and strengthened Christianity by creating various laws and ordering one church be built for every 10 villages. He invited foreign priests to Hungary to evangelize his kingdom. István also founded several dioceses: Veszprém, Győr, Kalocsa, Vác, Bihar, Eger and Csanád. István's only son, Emeric (sometimes referred to as Imre), was wounded in a hunting accident and died in 1031, taking a toll on István's health. On his deathbed in 1038, István raised his crown and prayed for the Virgin Mary to take the Hungarian people as her subjects and become their queen. King István died on the same day as the Virgin Mary's bodily assumption into heaven, August 15. He was later canonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083 as Saint Stephen of Hungary. Today, St. Stephen's Day, August 20, is one of the largest public holidays in Hungary. During the period of Communism, however, St. Stephen's Day was referred to as the anniversary of the Stalinist Constitution of 1949. Stephen's Holy Crown was hidden in a Fort Knox vault from 1945 until 1978. In 1978, it was returned to Hungary. When President Jimmy Carter ordered the crown to be returned, representatives from the U.S., including William Penn Association, escorted it to Hungary. Since 2000, it has been enshrined in the Hungarian parliament building in Budapest. A replica of the crown is on permanent display at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, Ga. □ Photo © Can Stock Photo lnc7Alexis84 William Penn Life 0 August 2013 0 3
